Action and Prevention

• Wrapping susceptible pipes in insulation can help protect your home. These pipes are usually found in crawl spaces and along outside walls. Alternatively, UL-approved heat tape can be used to wrap pipes; be sure to follow manufacturer’s instructions.
• Turn off outdoor faucets and disconnect garden hoses. If possible, do this at the interior valve that supplies these faucets and drain the water between the valve and the faucet.
• When extremely cold weather sets in, open any cabinets under sinks or near outside walls to allow heat from the room to reach the pipes. This can be enough to keep them from freezing.
• You can also let a very slow trickle of warm water flow from faucets, especially those on outside walls. This minimal flow can prevent freezing in many cases.
• If you turn on the water and there is no flow, a pipe may have frozen. Turn on several faucets to prevent further damage.
• If a frozen pipe has burst and water damage has occurred, turn off the water supply at the main shut-off valve and contact a professional water damage restoration company.